Deeper Learning Virtual Academy

Deeper Learning Virtual Academy is a small public virtual school in West Allis, Wisconsin, serving about 88 students in grades 6 through 12 as part of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, which itself ranks 400 of 432 districts statewide.

The school ranks 499 of 533 Wisconsin high schools in 2025–2026 (6th percentile, 0 stars), making it the only 0-star high school in its district — Central High earns 1 star, while James E Dottke Project-Based Learning High School and Nathan Hale High each earn 2 stars. Nearby suburban schools such as Whitnall High rank far higher, with much stronger graduation and test results. Its 2024–25 dropout rate of 18.3% is far above the district's 3.1% and the state's 1.1%, and the highest among the nearby schools compared here. Its reported 0.0% chronic absenteeism for the same year is dramatically lower than the district's 19.5%, but follows rates of 28.8%, 36.5%, and 43.4% in prior years — an unusual one-year shift worth verifying. High school test results are low: 16.67% proficiency in ACT English/language arts, 4.17% in math, 12.5% in science, and 9.09% in 10th-grade Forward social studies. One bright spot is 8th-grade social studies at 50% proficiency, above the district's 47.16% but still below the state's 64.63%.

With only 88 students, year-to-year rates swing widely — the graduation rate fell from 92.8% in 2021–22 to 32.0% in 2023–24, then rebounded to 84.2% in 2024–25. The school also spends less ($12,226 per student) and has a higher student/teacher ratio (17.6) than its same-district peers, even though its free/reduced lunch rate (48.86%) is the lowest among them. Families may also notice uneven subgroup effectiveness, including 11th-percentile results for low-income students. Overall, the school's most pressing needs appear to be high-school academics, dropout prevention, and attendance data validation.